Building constructions



21, 1967 E. GRAHAM-WOOD ETAL 3,304,675

BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS Filed May 11, 1964 2 SheetsSheet l x I 24 --M W W'ITTiI'E E Hi 4,

INVENTORS EDWARD GRAHAM-WOOD FRANK BERRY JAMES FREDERICK HORRIDGE JOHN FOXWELL wad ATTORNEY.

21, 1967 E. GRAHAM-WOOD ETAL 3,304,675

BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1.1, 1964 INVENTORS EDWARD GRAHAM-WOOD FRANK BERRY JAMES FREDERICK HORRIDGE JOHN FOXWELL BY PI.-

ATTOREY.

United States Patent Ofilice.

3,3@4,b75 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 3,304,675 BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS Edward Graham-Wood, Northwich, Frank Berry and James Frederick Horridge, Bolton, and John Foxwel], Leigh, England, assignors to Lowton Construction Group, Limited, Warrington, England Filed May 11, 1964, Ser. No. 366,270 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 20, 1963, 37,026/ 63 6 Claims. (Cl. 52236) This invention concerns building structures, more particularly, but not exclusively, multistory buildings, and has for its object to provide a novel construction which is particularly suitable for two-story domestic dwelling houses, and which permits the erection of such houses to be effected with the employment of prefabricated components in a simple, versatile and convenient manner, and with a minimum of skilled labour.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a building structure characterised in that it comprises, as a basic structural assembly, a skeltal framework constituted by a plurality of vertical columns, each in the form of a substantially rectangular panel, one vertical side of which is disposed at a respective corner of the structure, and a horizontal floor beam secured to each such vertical column about midway of its height so as to project substantially in the plane of the respective rectangular panel laterally thereof past the other vertical side thereof and connected to the said one side of the next adjacent column.

With such structure, the panels of the vertical columns resist lateral stresses applied to the structure (e.g. by winds or the like) and support the floor beams at an appropriate height for a first story floor, while the horizontal floor beams provide for incorporation of a ground floor ceiling and a first story floor into the structure.

The columns can be rectangular openwork panels (e.g. provided with formations to receive battens or the like for the application of a suitable facing thereto), or they may be masked or clad with a suitable material, such as il'leet metal, plywood, plastics, precast concrete or the In a preferred structure, according to the invention, the panels of the columns each comprise a rectangular frame composed of channel-sectional members extending along the four sides thereof with the channels of opposite numbers facing one another, cross members being provided between the vertical members at appropriate intervals for stiffening.

In the latter instance, the masking or cladding provided on the panels will be secured to those flanges of the channel-sectioned members which face outward of the structure.

The frames of the panels are preferably of metal.

The floor beams may be of metal or timber, and where metal floor beams are employed, these are preferably Z-shaped in cross-section to provide an inwardly projecting flange for supporting a floor structure, and except where the floor beam is secured to its respective panels, an outwardly projecting flange allowing the securing thereto of wall panels, cladding panels, window frames, door frames and the like to fill the space above and below such floor beam, substantially in the same plane as the respective panel, thereby to provide, with the panel, a wall of the structure.

Timber floor beams which may or may not be fabricated (e.g. of plywood or the like) may, of course, be employed, the structure thereof necessarily being such, of course, as to provide a supporting surface for a first story floor of the structure.

The upper ends of the columns are preferably connected by eaves beams, which may conveniently be of metal, and arranged to support an appropriately con- I structed roof of the structure, which roof may be ridged,

gabled, sloped or of any convenient configuration.

The structure of the invention can be employed in the construction of a detached house. Two such structures, side-by-side, can be employed in the erection of a semidetached house, and a plurality thereof can be used for building a terrace of houses Where semidetached and terraced arrangements are concerned, the adjacent structures can be stepped relative to one another.

The invention further comprises the method of erecting a building structure which includes the steps of arranging, on a prepared site or foundation, a plurality of vertical columns, each in the form of a substantially rectangular panel, so that one vertical side of the panel is disposed at a respective corner of the structure, securing to each column about midway of its height, a respective hori- Zontal floor beam so that said beam projects substantially in the plane of the beam past the other vertical side thereof, and connecting the projecting end of the side beam to the said one side of the next adjacent column.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with refer ence to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the first stage in erecting a skeletal framework, for a house, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a View similar to FIG. 1, but showing the basic skeletal framework completed;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, but showing eaves beams secured in position and prefabricated floor panels installed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIGS. 1 to 3, but showing the house with roofing and certain wall panels in position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing a floor beam secured to its respective panel and indicating the manner in which the floor beam of a next adjacent panel may be connected thereto;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary part-sectional elevational view through one of the columns of the house;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a completed house constructed in accordance with the invention, and part of a next adjacent similar house; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a stepped terrace of three houses constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in constructing a dwelling house in accordance with the invention, firstly a suitable foundation is prepared. This may, for instance, simply be a flat rectangular concrete base 19. The next step is to erect, on such base 10, a basic structural assembly in accordance with the invention, which assembly is shown in FIG. 2 and is rectangular in plan. To this end, four columns 11 and four floor beams 12 are employed. Each column 11 comprises a pro-fabricated rectangular panel composed of a rectangular frame formed of channel-sectioned steel side members 13 and end members 14 (see FIG. 6), these being arranged with the channels of the members disposed at opposite sides and ends facing one another. At appropriate intervals, cross members 15 (see FIG. 4) connect side members 13 to provide rigidity to the column, and the length (i.e. the height) of each column is substantially equal to the desired wall height of the dwelling house. Appropriate cladding 16 (such as bonded ply or metal sheeting) is secured to one face of side and end members 13, 14 respectively of column 11 by being secured to the corresponding flanges of side and end members 13, 14.

Each floor beam 12 is of metal, being Z-shaped in cross section, one lowermost flange 17 thereof being cutaway at one end of the beam for a distance equal to the width of a column 11, as can be seen in FIG. 5.

In erecting the basic assembly, firstly two of the columns 11 are arranged in vertical disposition on base 10 at adjacent corners of the foundation, as shown in FIG. 1, each with one vertical side at the respective corner of foundation 10 and with the planes of the columns at right angles to one another so that each column is disposed in a respective desired wall plane of the eventual structure. Such columns 11 are bolted to the foundation by bolts 18 (FIG. 6) previously provided in the foundation, which bolts are, for example, cast in situ or may comprise expanding bolts inserted in holes bored in foundation 10.

One of the floor beams 12 is now brought into its assembly position wherein it abuts against one of the col umns 11 at the inner face thereof (i.e. the face which will be inwardly disposed in the completed building) by that end of the beam from which flange 17 has been cut away, so that a web 19 (FIG. of floor beam 12 lies against inner or non-clad flanges 20 of side members 13 of such column 11. In such position, floor beam 12, substantially horizontal, is disposed at a level slightly higher than midway up the height of the respective column 11, and such floor beam 12 projects, substantially in the plane of the respective column past the other side of the column (i.e. past that vertical side which is not at the respective corner of the foundation) to meet that side of the second column which is disposed at the corresponding next adjacent corner of foundation 10. The floor beam 12 is secured in place by bolting to side members 13 of its respective column 11 and by being bolted, at its projecting end, to an appropriate bracket (not shown) on the next adjacent column 11.

Erection then continues by positioning and bolting the third column 11 at its corner of foundation and then positioning the second floor beam 12 relative to its column 11 and securing it both to the second column 11 and the third column 11 in exactly the same way as described with reference to the first floor beam 12. The fourth column 11 is then positioned and bolted at its corner of foundation 10, whereafter both the third and fourth floor beams 12 are bolted in their corresponding positions secured respectively to the third and fourth columns 11 and extending and connected respectively to the fourth and first column 11, to result in the basic skeletal structure shown in FIG. 2.

The dispositions of floor beams 12 in all cases is such that the uppermost flange 20 of each floor beam is inwardly directed relative to the space enclosed by the structure while lowermost flange 17 thereof is outwardly directed. The floor beams are all secured at one and the same level, and consequently, the inwardly directed uppermost flanges 20 provide a rectangular supporting ledge around the inside of the basic assembly about midway up the height thereof.

The next step in the erection is to position the first story floor 21 (FIGS. 3 and 4) within the structure, and this is accomplished simply by lowering prefabricated floor units 22 into position within the assembly so that such floor unit 22 rests by its ends upon the uppermost flanges 20 of two opposite ones of the floor beams 12, the endmost of such floor units 22 being supported also each along one edge upon corresponding uppermost flanges 20 of the other two floor beams 12. Appropriate staircase apertures will, of course, be left in floor units 22, and corresponding cross beams (not shown) will be provided for supporting the ends thereof which do not reach corresponding floor beams 12.

Each floor unit 22 is preferably a prefabricated stressedskin unit composed of joists 23 to which is secured, both by gluing and pinning, a top skin or covering 24 of compressed chipboard, laminated wood, plastics or other dimensionally inert material, of substantial thickness (e.g. of the order of three-quarters of an inch or two centimetres in thickness), the top skin or covering being glued to the joists to ensure that all the elements of the unit are insepar'ably united and that stresses arising from the weight thereof and any applied load are distributed widely throughout the elements. The floor units are also provided with an underneath facing 25 of plasterboard, hardboard, chip board or other suitable ceiling material which may, if desired, simply be pinned to joists 23, but is preferably of a strong material similar to that of top skin or covering 24 and is preferably also glued to joists 23 so as to be inseparable from the unit and to participate in absorption and transmission of stresses which may arise in the unit.

Once floor units 22 have been lowered into position, they are secured to each other and to the floor beams by bolting so as to form a unitary structure, and the basic assembly can then be roofed. This is done simply by securing steel eaves beams 26 (which may also be Z-shaped in cross section and similar to floor beams 12) between adjacent pairs of columns 11 so that such eaves beams are each disposed above and extend parallel to a respective floor beam 12 (see particularly FIG. 3).

Thereupon, prefabricated roof units, of desired con figuration are lowered into position so as to bridge one opposed pair of eaves beams 26, appropriate battens or fillets or the like being provided on the tops of the cor responding upper flanges 27 of the eaves beams to ac= commodate any angular disposition of the roof units, which are then sec. urcd to such upper flanges.

FIGS. 4 and 6 show diagrammatically a ridged roof structure applied to the house. To this end, trapezium shaped battens 28 (FIG. 6) are secured to flanges 27 of two opposite eaves beams 26 and rectangular operiwor'l metal frames 29, similar to the side members of columns 11, are positioned so as to extend parallel to such bat tens 28 at appropriate distances therefrom, between the other two roof beams 26, as can be seen in FIG. 4. T hereupon, prefabricated stressed-skin roof panels 30 are lowered into position thereon. As can be seen from FIG. 4, these roof panels 30 are similar in structure to floor units 22 and each comprise a plurality of parallel joists 31 to which is secured a top skin or covering 32 of dimensionally inert material of the same nature as top skin or covering 24 but, if desired, of lesser thickness. End boards 33, 34 are provided across the ends of joists 31, which ends are cut off at an angle dependent upon the desired pitch of roof. As with the floor units 22, all the components of the roof panels 30 are both pinned and glued together.

When roof panels 30 are in position, as shown, the uppermost end boards 34 at opposite sides of the roof abut one another. Such abutting end boards 34 are secured together to constitute the ridge of the roof. The adjacent roof panels 30 are secured together by pinning through the abutting joists 31 and are also secured to the battens 28, appropriate brackets, fillets or the like (not shown) being provided for this purpose.

Once the roof is positioned and secured, completion of the dwelling house can proceed, as desired. Operatives can work inside, installing services, staircases, partitions and the like, as well as providing flooring for the first floor of the structure, eg by providing a bondeddown tread surface on the concrete base 10 or, as shown in FIG. 6, by providing beams 35 and/or sleeper walls (not shown) on such base 10 and assembling groundfloor floor units 36 thereon. These units 36 are similar to the units of first story floor 21 except that no underneath facing is provided, for obvious reasons.

The walls of the structure are completed by installation, in the open spaces between floor beams 12 and base 10 and between floor beams 12 and eaves beams 26, of appropriate Wall panels, window frames, door frames and the like, as desired. One such panel is shown, at 37 in FIG. 4, and this may be glazed in its upper part, as at 38 in FIG. 8, and filled-in at its lower part, as at 39 in FIG. 9. However, the shapes and materials used in the panels will vary according to the desired external design of the house. The panels and/or frames for the upper story are disposed so as to rest on and be secured to lowermost flanges 17 of floor beams 12, and where such panels are of height equal to the height of the upper story of the house, they will engage beneath and be secured to the lower flanges 40 of eaves beams 26. Composite panels, composed of a plurality of sections adapted to be secured together, can also be employed. FIG. 4 shows two such sections, at opposite sides of the house, at 41, these being secured to the respective floor beams 12 and providing spaces thereabove for further sections (not shown) which may embody window frames, if desired.

Where necessary or desired, appropriate battens or the like may be provided on base 10 and/ or flanges 17 and 40 to provide fastenings, but bolting can be resorted to for securing the panels and frames in position. Thereafter, appropriate finishing of the structure, by internal and external cladding, facing and the like, is effected, as desired, to complete the dwelling house.

In such houses columns 11 of the basic assembly provide for rigidity of the structure, the rectangular shapes of the frameworks thereof resisting any stresses arising in the finished structure, e.g. as a result of winds and the like, while the floor beans 12 serve as supporting elements of the structure for supporting the floor of the first story of the house.

The principal advantage of using the basic structural assembly of the invention lies in the fact that the parts thereof can be quickly assembled, on a prepared site or base 10, as by using a crane, and without the need for highly skilled labour. It is possible to erect the basic structure, composed of columns 11 and floor beams 12, and to roof the same, all within a period of one working day, using only a minimum of personnel, and as soon as the roof is in position, internal work on the building can be proceeded with. Climatic conditions will, therefore, only have a very small effect on the progress of completing the structure and will affect only external work, such as cladding the external surfaces of the structure.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. For instance, the basic structure can, if desired, simply be assembled using as a foundation, four concrete or like base elements, as indicated at 50 in FIG. 4, one such base element 50 being provided for each column 11, an appropriate shallow wall (not shown) being provided between the adjacent pair of base elements 50, and sleeper walls being employed for the ground floor structure.

The column 11 of the basic assembly need not be panelled prior to initial assembly, but may simply be in the form of openwork or skeletal rectangular frames which are parallel or otherwise clad internally and/or externally after erection. They may be of metal, as describe, or may be of timber (e.g. bonded plywood) tough plastics of precast concrete.

Similarly, floor beams 12 and eaves beams 26 can also be of timber, plastics or concrete, as desired.

As described above, the resultant dwelling house would be a detached house. The structure of the invention can, of course, be employed for semidetached houses, in which two of the structures would be employed as at A and B in FIG. 7, or for terraces, in which case one of the structures would be employed for each of the houses in the terrace, as shown at C, D and E in FIG. 8. The structures can, of course, be arranged linearly or staggered to provide desired architectural effects as desired.

Any desired shape of roof span, naturally, can be employed.

6 We claim: 1. A basic structural framework of a building structure comprising, a base,

a plurality of columns disposed vertically-upwardly of said base each in the form of a rectangular frame of channel-sectioned corner side and inside side members and upper and lower end members defining within the marginal edges thereof spaced inboard and outboard vertical panel areas,

the outboard vertical panel area of each said column being disposed at a respective side of the building structure with its corner side member defining a respective corner of the structure, a plurality of horizontally-disposed coplanar floor beams each substantially Z-shaped in cross section and defining upper inboard-facing and lower outboard-facing supporting flanges, the lower outboard-facing supporting flange of each said floor beam being inset with a column-receiving recess at one end thereof, each said floor beam being disposed in the plane of and secured at its recessed end in right angular mating relationship to one of said vertical columns substantially midway of the height thereof and being disposed in the plane of and secured at its nonrecessed end in right angular mating relationship to the corner side member of the next adjacent said column,

the inwardly-projecting flanges of said floor beams defining means for supporting flooring elements of the building structure, the outwardly-projecting flanges of said floor beams and said columns defining means for supporting wall elements of the building structure.

2. The framework as claimed in claim 1 including Wall members masked over the outboard vertical plane areas of and secured to said columns.

3. The framework as claimed in claim 1 including floor members supported by and secured to said floor beams.

4. The framework as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of horizontally-disposed coplanar roof support ing eaves beams extending between and connected to the upper end members of said columns.

45 t 5. The framework as claimed in claim 4 wherein prefabricated floor panels are supported by said eaves beams.

6. A dwelling house comprising at least two of the frameworks as claimed in claim 1 arranged side-by-side interlocked relationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,636 1/1907 Lillow 52-650 55 1,623,641 4/1927 Sixta 46-19 1,674,204 6/ 1928 Johnson 52-650 2,023,814 12/1935 Lindsey 52-236 2,202,745 5/1940 Muse 52-285 2,211,384 8/1940 Patterson 52-732 2,736,613 2/1956 Jagiel 52-637 2,963,173 12/ 1960 Barnes. 3,233,374 2/1966 Micheels 52-650 FOREIGN PATENTS 943,487 1948 France.

600,646 1934 Germany. 549,477 1958 Italy.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BASIC STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK OF A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING, A BASE, A PLURALITY OF COLUMNS DISPOSED VERTICALLY-UPWARDLY OF SAID BASE EACH IN THE FORM OF A RECTANGULAR FRAME OF CHANNEL-SECTIONED CORNER SIDE AND INSIDE SIDE MEMBERS AND UPPER AND LOWER END MEMBERS DEFINING WITHIN THE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF SPACED INBOARD AND OUTBOARD VERTICAL PANEL AREAS, THE OUTBOARD VERTICAL PANEL AREA OF EACH SAID COLUMN BEING DISPOSED AT A RESPECTIVE SIDE OF THE BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH ITS CORNER SIDE MEMBER DEFINING A RESPECTIVE CORNER OF THE STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY-DISPOSED COPLANAR FLOOR BEAMS EACH SUBSTANTIALLY Z-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION AND DEFINING UPPER INBOARD-FACING AND LOWER OUTBOARD-FACING SUPPORTING FLANGES, THE LOWER OUTBOARD-FACING SUPPORTING FLANGE OF EACH SAID FLOOR BEAM BEING INSET WITH A COLUMN-RECEIVING RECESS AT ONE END THEREOF, EACH SAID FLOOR BEAM BEING DISPOSED IN THE PLANE OF AND SECURED AT ITS RECESSED END IN RIGHT ANGULAR MATING RELATIONSHIP TO ONE OF SAID VERTICAL COLUMNS SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY OF THE HEIGHT THEREOF AND BEING DISPOSED IN THE PLANE OF AND SECURED AT ITS NONRECESSED END IN RIGHT ANGULAR MATING RELATIONSHIP TO THE CORNER SIDE MEMBER OF THE NEXT ADJACENT SAID COLUMN, THE INWARDLY-PROJECTING FLANGES OF SAID FLOOR BEAMS DEFINING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING FLOORING ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING STRUCTURE, THE OUTWARDLY-PROJECTING FLANGES OF SAID FLOOR BEAMS AND SAID COLUMNS DEFINING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING WALL ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING STRUCTURE. 